Say what you want for Chelsea's efforts on the pitch over the past few years, but Todd Boehly and Co haven't exactly been guilty of a lack of ambition.
Tosin Adarabioyo has bolstered the backline; up-and-coming prospects pour into Cobham like a cascade. The youth-heavy recruitment strategy is all well and good but the Blues need some instant fizz to enrich the tissue of Maresca's squad, with a free-scoring striker at the top of the shopping list.
If you're a Chelsea fan and you're unaware of the interest in Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, you've probably been living under a rock.
Chelsea have been in contact with the Magpies for the Swede's transfer to west London, though, as Sky Sports report, Newcastle are seeking £100m and completing a deal would be complicated. Wisely, a high-class alternative is also on the shortlist.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Napoli are growing concerns over a lack of interest in centre-forward Victor Osimhen, who has been expected to leave the 2022/23 Serie A champions this summer, but does name the Blues as one of the teams eyeing him up - alongside Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Naples club's new manager, Antonio Conte, has confirmed that the Nigerian is free to depart this summer, though they may be forced to consider reducing their £102m asking price.
Why Chelsea are interested in a striker
Chelsea need some firepower up front. It's a no-brainer. Last season, despite showing signs of improvement, the Blues only managed to finish sixth in the Premier League and proved to be profligate in front of goal, often playing promising football only to come unstuck in decisive phases of play
Nicolas Jackson, talented as he may be, scored 14 goals from 35 Premier League matches last season but he also missed a whopping 24 big chances, consistently missing the mark in promising positions.
Isak, conversely, posted 21 goals from 30 matches and only missed 21 big chances. It's clear that the Swede is one of the Premier League's foremost finishers, proving himself to be a true marksman and an "exceptional talent", as has been said by Eddie Howe.
Signed to St. James' Park from Real Sociedad in 2022 after Newcastle paid a club-record £63m fee, the 24-year-old has myriad talents that would see Chelsea advance their frontline to one of the finest in Europe, ranking among the top 7% of centre-forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 17% for progressive passes, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
Signing him is not going to be easy; including Jackson as a makeweight has even been discussed internally at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have long suffered from inconsistency at No. 9 and it's paramount that the right man is welcomed this summer to fire Stamford Bridge back into the limelight.
Should Boehly and his cohort fail in their efforts for Isak, Osimhen would be the dream alternative, perhaps even the better pick.
Why Victor Osimhen would be a dream for Chelsea
Europe watched Naples fall last season. Having incredibly won Serie A in resounding fashion in 2022/23, breezing through the division with ease, Napoli fell by the wayside quite incredibly last year, finishing tenth.
Osimhen's injury-hit campaign clearly had a detrimental effect on his team's frontal fluency, only starting 22 top-flight matches as he battled against muscular problems, the situation further compounded by his January and February absence for the African Cup of Nations.
Still, he scored 15 goals and only missed 15 big chances in the league, denoting his incredible goalscoring threat. After all, it would be a disservice to so quickly forget the exploits of the previous year. Chelsea certainly haven't.
Let's put Osimhen's 2022/23 campaign into perspective: FBref recorded the £209k-per-week striker to rank among the top 1% of positional peers over Napoli's Scudetto-winning campaign for goals scored, shots taken and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90. Analyst Raj Chohan dubbed him a "monster" and it's clear to see why.
Such numbers place the 6 foot 1 star in a distinct category, alongside the likes of Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and the ageing Robert Lewandowski as the superlative strikers of contemporary times.
Isak has demonstrated great gusto and tenacity to push himself toward that bracket but he's not got the same kind of output as the Nigeria international, who even last season, despite his struggles, ranked among the top 10% of forwards for shots taken and the top 8% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90.
The 25-year-old, moreover, is athletic and skilful, selfless (when need be) and combative. Talent scout Jacek Kulig once hailed him as a "hitman" but he is truly so much more, and he would provide Chelsea with a deadly sharpshooter required to rise to a position of prominence at the height of the European game.
The clip above shows Osimhen producing a remarkable piece of skill to deftly bamboozle defenders and fire a threaded sideward ball into the onrushing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, showcasing an impressive string to his bow that Chelsea would make good use of.
Isak or Osimhen? It's rather patent that Chelsea will launch an official bid to sign a striker this summer, let's hope Maresca and his transfer team make the right choice and end the Blues' No. 9 curse once and for all.
It is now down to Boehly and his team to get a deal over the line for Osimhen as a dream alternative to the Sweden international this summer to ensure that Maresca has a high-quality number nine to lead the line and fire the Blues to glory in the 2024/25 campaign.